Armored Core: Broken Era
by Iwanagi
Summary: A boy with an aptitude for craft piloting finally graduates from the Military Academy of his hometown. But when he learns something he shouldn't have, he has to make decisions that could alter the fate of the future itself. What path will he walk as he grows from a simple Normal pilot into one of the greatest AC Pilots in history?
1. Prologue

-This is a work of fiction, obviously. All rights belong to respective owners, particularly BamCo and From Software. And honestly, I only put this here out of respect for the series. Because who doesn't love AC, right?-

**INTRO AND THINGS**

So uh, hi. My name is Zwei (Or Tatsuma/Iwanagi, cause like, Zwei and Tatsuma was taken and ZweiDragon = nah) and I write things. Truthfully, I've written fanfics before, but I never really took it seriously; I only wrote them and never produced. But after not seeing material for the things I like (In this case Armored Core: No -serious- long running fic? Come on, yo...), I decided to take up this mantle and start writing. Being a big fan of the AC series, I decided to just kick up something. (But honestly I think this will be bad.)

I admit that I'm not really great when it comes to plot webbing and things like that (Or maybe I am, who knows), but I would hope my writing style is enough to keep this fic going well and good, so we'll find out. Until then, I'm gonna give this a go and see where it leads. Hopefully, I can make something good, or at the very least, interesting enough to make it worth reading. So without any further distractions, I bring you my first attempt at anything serious: Armored Core: Broken Era.

Enjoy.

* * *

_Year 2731..._

The moon's light pierced through the blinds of the window, and a pair of eyes opened slowly.

"...only 12? Ugh..."

With a yawn, the boy rose from his bed, and walked into the bathroom, and stared himself in the mirror. A Cadet of the Military Academy, he scratched his head, and glanced at picture of his parents, An old relic from his younger days.

"It's been 5 years. I wonder if you guys can see how far I've come."

He gave a soft smile. He never knew his parents, both of them victims of war, but that didn't stop him from going after what he believed was his dream. He would keep going until he couldn't go any further and his dream was accomplished.

"Tomorrow...you'll see. I'll show you both what I'm capable of. Watch me."

And with that, he stumbled back into his room, and back onto his bed, sleep taking him once again for the rest of the night.

* * *

Mankind has begun its slow climb back up the hill of destruction. Many years have passed since the days of the Verdict War, and the world is piecing itself back together. Pollution of the planet has begun to die down, pilots of the mechanized harbingers of war known as "Armored Cores" have settled down in pursuit of peace, and corporations have banded together to create a better world for humanity.

However, there are still those who hunger for everything on the planet, from resources to downright control. Rebels are picking up arms, new corporations are being formed to attempt what older corporations failed to achieve, and some AC pilots have decided to band with them, either to assist them in their goals, or just to fight, to see the world burn.

One boy will become the sole pilot who can change the fate of the entire planet. He alone has the potential to be the light in the darkness that is to come...or he shall become the darkness that swallows the world whole. Or perhaps neither.

Will he fight for a new tomorrow? Or will he aid in the journey to the world's end? Will he fight with reason and purpose, or will he become nothing but a demon who cares for nothing but the thrill of the fight, and to bring death wherever he roams?

He lives to find the answer to these questions, And if he can't find one...

He'll simply shoot his way to one.


	2. Dreams and Aspirations

Okay, I'm gonna be honest. I feel that the Prologue could have been a bit longer, but then again, I didn't want to go spilling the entire can of Pork'N'Beans all over your screens. So I'm okay with what's there.

Anyway, here's the -ACTUAL- chapter. Have fun.

* * *

**08:45, Hyrvus Academy, Far East...**

Rays of light beamed in the fortified building, and the shadows of human figures fell upon the floors. Military styled uniforms covered each and every one of them as they chattered in the hallways, laughter and commotion flooding the air.

A voice on the PA rung out. "Attention, all Cadets. Orientation will begin in 15 minutes. I repeat, orientation will begin in 15 minutes."

A female Cadet walked out of the crowd, and approached a boy with a book in front of his face, and a salvaged music player ringing in his ears. Her long, straight dark red hair stood out in the light, a smile on her face enhancing her figure. The boy, his black hair accompanied by his short bangs in front, focused intently on the book he was reading.

In the days of Economic War, a pilot known as White Glint was regarded as one of the greatest AC pilots to exist. This book was written in his memory by someone known only as "Strayed", another legendary pilot from the Economic War, known for being the reason that humanity was able to take to the stars.

He gazed out the window, thinking solemnly. "It must have been tough, making such a hard decision to kill that many people so that humanity could have a better chance at existing. But thanks to him, space was able to be colonized...hell, people stopped fighting for a while and the planet wound up being habitable again. And White Glint..."

His thoughts were interrupted when a voice caught his ears, and he sighed, closing his book.

The female nudged his arm, and gave a warm smile. "Morning, Ryoma. I see you're as distant as ever."

_Ryoma Watanabe, 19. An above average Cadet, he lost his parents at the age of 13. Was enlisted as a Cadet the same year prior to losing his parents. A bit of an open minded sort, his prowess for improvisation and his general intuition for piloting craft has warranted him worthy of a kept eye by the Guard Corps_.

He scoffed, as if annoyed. "God, you never leave me alone, do you? I swear, you're as clingy as clingy can be."

She frowned, her finger pointing at his face. "Don't give me that, you asshole. You're the one sitting here asking for someone to pay attention to you."

He smiled, as if he expected the remark. She gave a sigh, and decided against arguing with him. It was way too early for it. "I'm sorry," He said. "I'm just used to a little me time early in the mornings. You're the only one who bothers me, but I guess it's fine since it's you, Celine."

_Celine Fërdheit, 18. One of the higher ranked Cadets of the academy, she's known Ryoma since they were juniors. A bit of an annoyance to Ryoma, but he tolerates her for the most part. Moved to Far East with her parents from the Mid-Continent as a result of her father becoming a craft designer for the Hyrvus Corporation. An otherwise ordinary girl with nothing extraordinary that stands out._

The girl smiled again, shaking her head. "Ugh, I swear. You can be a complete jerk sometimes. I should be used to it, but still."

He placed his book in his bag, and shrugged. His watch ticked towards the 9 mark, and he started walking towards the classroom. "Come on, we'll be late. This is our last day, after all."

Celine gasped, and walked with him, speed walking a bit to catch up. "Oh, that's right! We have pilot tests this afternoon!"

Ryoma sighed, and smiled as he walked into the classroom, Celine behind him. The bell rung, and after a few moments of chatter and late students rushing in, everyone relaxed for a bit. A few moments afterwards, a thin, tall man walked in, his white uniform adding to his figure. His white gloves grazed the desk, and he sat down, a smile on his face. His medals and emblems shined in the room, the sun adding to their dominant glare. At once, everyone in the room faced forward and saluted without hesitation.

"Admiral Nagai."

He waved his hand, nodding, his wavy black hair complimenting the motion. "At ease, everyone. You're all looking quite healthy and ready."

_Admiral Nagai was a high ranked officer in the Guard Corps even before becoming an instructor at the academy. After taking up the role of such, he has become infamous for his father-like aptitude for teaching and guiding the Cadets of today. One can argue that his teaching methods create soldiers that live longer than others._

Clearing his throat, he began to speak. "As you all know, your last day of training is at hand. Today will determine whether you will become a worthy addition to the city's Guard Corps, or if you'll be the back of a part shop helping fix what you wish you could pilot. Today is the day you become the decider of your own fate, and the first step towards that is dependent on your performance here in this final test. I trust you've all been keeping practice like Ms. Celine Fërdheit here."

Celine gave a heartfelt nod, scoring hopeful glances from the other Cadets. Everyone sat down, grins and smiles on their faces. Ryoma however, sat back down with not so much as a nod, his mind wandering off in other directions.

Admiral Nagai saw Ryoma's expression and rose an eyebrow. "Hmm? Watanabe, is there something on your mind?"

"No...nothing. It's just that I'm excited." Ryoma clenched his fist, and gave a small smirk. "Today is the day I can finally show what I'm made of, and show that my training wasn't for naught. I'll prove that I'm the best today."

"Hm. Your worth, huh?"

The admiral smirked, and nodded. That kind of confidence, focused yet humble, assurance yet not arrogant, surprised him. "This will be a fun graduation test." he thought to himself. "He's only above average at best, yet there's something about him..."

With a smile, he clasped his hands together, and checked his attendance chart. "Everyone present, good. Alright, we can get ready for the test."

One of the students raised his hand, confused. "Test? Is it a written exam?"

"Nope. There's no point of a written exam. This is going to be a test of piloting skills. Today, you will be pitted against each other in a battle to see who the better pilot is."

Everyone gave worried glances. Ryoma nodded, and Celine gave a smile in his direction. "She confuses me sometimes." he thought to himself.

"Now now," Admiral Nagai continued. "This isn't to say that you're doomed from the start. We're not looking just to see if you will be better than your colleagues. What we are looking for isn't a victory, but your piloting habits, your potential, your physical and psychological standings. You may be able to beat your friends in a friendly match, but if you don't have the mindset for piloting Normals, you are worth less than a Cadet who isn't good at piloting them, yet has the dedication and the potential to be the best. That is what we are searching for today. Some of you may have already passed in that regard, but it still helps to know where your faults lie."

Everyone nodded in understanding. Ryoma piped the next question. "So who are our opponents?"

"Ready to get started already, Watanabe? I like that. And since you mentioned it, here are a copy of the brackets. Take one and pass them along, you know the drill."

The paper hit Ryoma's desk, but he didn't notice it until a few minutes later; he was too busy thinking about what to do after his academy days were over. He smiled a bit too, as he planned his battle strategy on his soon to be opponent.

"Hmm...should I fight offensively? Use my opening momentum to my advantage? No, that won't work if they're used to hotheaded pilots...Oh, what about defensively? ...No, that would only let them fight at their own pace as well. I should be pressuring them. Shit, I don't even know what kind of craft we'll be using. Do we get to pick our own layouts? Probably not..."

"Uh...Ryoma?"

Celine's voice snapped him out of his trance. "What is it?"

"Uh..."

It wasn't until he picked up the paper that he saw the problem, and he placed his face in his palm the moment he glanced at his own name in the bracket.

His first opponent was Celine.

"Hehe, we'll be the last up to fight too! This is great, we get to finally face off and see who's better!"

Ryoma shook his head, and cursed the gods that may or may not have existed in the boundless sky. So much for an easy win, he thought to himself in silence.

"Goddammit, this is gonna be a long day..."

* * *

And as far as this chapter goes...well, it's fine. I wish there was a different way to introduce the characters, but I can only do so much without sounding stupid, so just accept the narrative and leave it at that, lol. I DID say this might be bad. But hey, that's why this is gonna be a reasonably long series; it's good for practice. 

I'll have the next one done sometime within next week. I have free time in abundance, so we'll see where it goes.


	3. Really, Who Made The Brackets?

Hey, everyone! New chapter up, but just wanna clear some things up.

Due to an oversight flawlessly pointed out by a uplifting reviewer (Thanks, Maverick!), I'm gonna have to apologize about it. To simplify it for everyone, while AC:fA is the same continuity as VD, a reference to White Glint and mentions of the Economic War (the book Ryoma was reading) are technically impossible (not really but kinda) due to a multitude of factors, and as such, it shouldn't have happened. Yes, I wanted to try to get away with the knowledge of W.G's legacy (And ofc Strayed) being passed down through the ages, but it makes sense that it COULDN'T be the case because of the happenings of AC:VD. As such, that book doesn't exist and was replaced with a pamphlet about angsty crossovers involving DmC and Kill la Kill. Sorry~

JUST TO BE CLEAR THOUGH: The reference was just that: **A reference.** But for the sake of accuracy, it probably won't happen again. Sorry, WC fans, this ain't about him. (Same goes for Strayed for that matter.)

Anywho, here's the next chapter. I guess. Enjoy, criticism is well approved and encouraged.

* * *

Ryoma's head hit the desk with a thud louder than the gunshot of a Sniper Cannon, and his motivation hit the fan faster than that. Celine being anyone's first opponent is bad enough, but it being Ryoma made everything a hell of a lot worse than it already was. It didn't help that his sentiments were being repeated by the rest of the class.

"Celine as his first match? Dude, he's so screwed."

"Ha, talk about being the short straw..."

"I wonder if he'll actually die?"

He had heard enough. Being slandered by people he'd beat before was enough to boil his blood, and it pushed him, over the boiling point. He stood up and yelled, his voice loud enough for even the cruel gods of fate to hear him.

"Are you shitting me?! Who the the hell did these brackets?! I demand a re-randomization of this entire thing!"

Admiral Nagai's eyebrows furrowed. "Relax yourself, Watanabe. These are final, and there will be no changing of the matchups."

"But...!"

"You shouldn't be complaining about your opponent being someone skilled enough to defeat you. If you can't handle that simple fact, you can leave and never come back. How would you get further as a pilot if you only took the easy way out? That is not our way here, and if this is the sort of motivation you carry, you're better off working a janitorial position in the sewers."

Ryoma bit his lip in frustration. The Admiral was right: Seeking easy wins won't help him get better. And who would he impress with wins that were essentially given to him? But this was just overkill. Then again, not like he was in a position to argue about it anyway. He groaned, and sat back down, his voice low once again.

"My apologies, Admiral. I made a fool out of myself. It won't happen again."

"Good. Now then. You all have your brackets. Matches will begin in the next 3 hours. That's 1200. I suggest you all go get some rest or get some practice in. You'll need it. You're all free to go. Good luck to you all."

The cadets rose, and saluted once more before heading out of the classroom. Ryoma slowly headed towards the door, but Admiral Nagai was quick to stop him.

"Watanabe, what was that about? Do you have a sort of phobia on fighting Celine?"

"It's not that at all." Ryoma quickly replied. "I just don't like fighting her. It bugs me."

Admiral Nagai's curiosity escalated quickly after hearing Ryoma say that, and his hands crossed over his mouth as he spoke.

"Why, though? Is it because she's a female? Your friend from childhood? What-"

"It's not like that either, sir. But I..."

Ryoma's fingers held his forehead as he spoke with a hint of sadness. "I don't feel as if I learn anything from when I fight her. Don't get me wrong, we're best friends and everything, but as a pilot, I don't get any experience from getting my ass kicked all over the battle grounds. How can I improve when the one person who I can't beat at all has such a clear advantage over me?"

The Admiral rose an eyebrow, not sure to be surprised at this statement, or to be confused as to what's going on through this cadet's mind as he explained himself.

"To be honest, I think it's bullshit. I understand that what you're looking for isn't just a win between the two cadets, but when my opponent is a unstoppable wrecking ball who's only gonna body me in less than 30 seconds, how could anyone make a observation of my performance when I didn't even get to perform? That's not fair, that's basically handing me to the trash department."

"You know", Nagai finally spoke, "I can understand what you mean. But it's precisely these sorts of reasons that you were picked to face her in the first place."

"Wait, picked?" Ryoma turned it over in his mind. That didn't sound right. Ryoma rose an eyebrow as well, as he was led to believe that the bracket was completely random. "If this is the case, why me? I'm sure someone else has a higher chance of winning. Why not match me up with someone of my skill level?"

"But we did match you up with someone of your skill level, Ryoma. Celine is a perfect match for you."

Now Ryoma was sure that he was hearing things. "No offense sir, but are you insane?"

The Admiral leaned back in his chair, and slowly shook his head. "With everything you just told me, that proves to me that you're the most likely to beat Celine. The fact that you were willing to admit what you just said is one thing; Having the smarts to know a battle you potentially cannot win is a good intuition in itself, but it is because of your infamous ability to create opportunities from literally out of nowhere that I and the other higher-ups believe in your ability to win. No one has creativity like you do, and your ingenuity can save your life one day as a pilot, no question."

Ryoma simply responded with a "Huh" as Nagai continued.

"I admit, your piloting skills are not of a top class level. You're a good pilot, but you are not them. However, I see potential in you that I see in no other pilot. You lose some, of course, but the actions that you perform are definitely worth mention. Such as in the urban warfare test. Luring the drones into the abandoned building and shooting out the support beams was something no one piloting a craft would have thought of on the spot, especially given the circumstances."

Ryoma held up his hand, waving it as the Admiral let him speak. "To be honest, I only did that because we were penalized based on how much ammo we spent. I needed lunch that day."

"It is because of the fact that you DID it that you are well spoken of", Nagai retorted. "Your quick reflexes and genius plans are something that would benefit you to the fullest once your potential is awoken as a pilot. You may not be as good as Celine fundamentally, but your tactics are definitely a trump card in the case of battle, something that she doesn't have. She's too textbook, you're the wild card. We wanted to see if that would have any sort of impact in a match between pilots with vastly different skill levels, and you've proven yourself to be that and more. If anything, you'd be better than Celine if your piloting skills were more refined."

Ryoma was lost for words. None of this was ever mentioned to him, so the fact that he was even being praised about this was a morale boost. His motivation came back, and so did his strategic mind processing. With a smile, he stood from the chair, and bowed. "Thank you, sir. I need to be going, however. It's about that time."

"Hm?" Nagai was confused, and he gestured it as such with a furrowing of his brows. "It's not even 9:30. What could you possibly have to be doing?"

Ryoma smirked. "I need to plan my strategy. By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a map on you of the battle stage, would you?"

* * *

Celine returned to her quarters, and kicked off her shoes, removing her clothes as she stepped into the bathroom. A few seconds later, water shot out of the shower head, and she stepped into it. Sighing, she grabbed a rag and drowned it in liquid soap, and began to wash herself.

"Ugh, only a few hours of rest? This sucks."

Her mind wandered off a few times as she spaced out. She thought about home, her parents, and imagined herself in her very own AC. The thoughts dragged a few smiles from her. And then...

Ryoma.

She gave another sigh, and wondered what that was all about earlier. Why won't he fight her? Is it because of her being a woman? Was it because they were childhood friends?

"No, it couldn't be. It never stopped him before, so why would he not want to all of a sudden?"

Her mind gave up trying to figure it out, but then she recalled that she was one of the best cadets of the school, and remembered that grading would be based on the performance of the pilots. Maybe that's what bugged him? That he wouldn't even get the chance?

"Oh, Ryoma..."

She cursed herself silently; She couldn't go easy on him because it would be disrespectful on her part, but it would be bad to beat him outright like that. He wouldn't have even been able to show what he has as a pilot, and then where would he end up? Working as an Operator? She didn't want that, so she knew that he didn't want that either. But what could she do?

She gave up, and turned the water off, and stepped out of the shower, drying herself off. Slipping into her sleeping clothes, she decided to just sleep on it. She was too tired to bother wasting time thinking about what would happen in the next 3 or so hours. And just when she was about to retire to her bed, a mail flew into her inbox on the cadet terminal.

"Who the hell...?"

:::**Message from**: Cronus_Ryo  
:::**Subject**: (none)

"Ryoma?" She opened the mail, curious on the contents. What could he possibly have to mail her about right now?

_"Hey, you'd better not slack off in our match! I plan to kick your ass, so you'd better bring your A game! No, your S game! Double S game, even! I look forward to it, so good luck, and don't worry about me. I know you are, you want-to-be mom!"_

Celine shook her head. "Did I really just spend time worrying about this asshole? Seriously!"

She didn't even reply. She turned the terminal right off, and jumped into bed, shaking her head all the while. And as she lost consciousness, a smile touched her face.

"That's the Ryoma I know."

* * *

And there's that. God, my eyes hurt. Hope you guys liked this; I think it's pretty good setup fodder for the next chapter. Next chapter is gonna be the exam chapter. Maybe I'll introduce some smaller characters too, because only having two people be the stars of the event isn't cool.

Until next time, which might be Thursday!


	4. Calm Before The Storm

Hey, guys! Sorry for such a late drop, some stuff happened and I was lacking all types of motivation. However, I'm back for the moment, though I might not be around afterwards because Dark Souls II and GT6 (Seriously, go get those), and my Job, so I won't be around AS much. Wish there was like a way to give status updates but...alas. I'll come up with something for this. Maybe Twitter or Email? Iunno, I'll always say that this is gonna be bad, you shouldn't even be waiting. _:

NOTE: I LEARNED HOW TO USE THE ENTER KEY. SWEET.

ANYWAY, let's get to it.

* * *

_10:17 AM, Hyrvus Plains_

The sunlight hit Ryoma's eyes as he stared at what would be his battlefield in the next 2 or so hours. A empty expanse, will many hills, rock faces, and a scarce cluster of buildings enveloped the area, as his fingers ran across his tablet where his battle plans laid. So far, only observations of the landscape were jotted down, but he had already converted the map that the Admiral gave him into a picture for personal usage.

"Ryoma...? Hey, Ryoma! Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you, Heltz. Stop screaming in the damn microphone."

_Heltz Gardner, 18. Another resident of the Mid-Continent, took up computer analysing before becoming a cadet in his spare time. As a result, he makes for a well suited operator and data analyst. A bit aloof, he knows Ryoma from their earlier training days. Not suited for piloting craft as he is infamous for his motion sickness._

"Just making sure. You tend to ignore me at times."

"Look, can you stop crying and give me a breakdown of what's I have? I'd like to know everything I can. Visibility, possible weather changes, structures that are bad or rock faces close to crumbling, anything."

Heltz scratched his chin, and nodded. With a couple of keyboard presses, a list of data and tabs hit Ryoma's tablet. Ryoma eyed it over a few times, and made a few notes of his own before he began to study it thoroughly. His brain ran a mile a second, ideas and tactics already flooding his mind while he came up with a battle plan.

"Alright, uh...we've got some wind storms coming up a little later in the day, so it might kick up a lot of the dirt and stuff around. Maybe you can use that as visual camo, but keep in mind that since there's FCSs built into the mechs anyway, it might not help. Still though, it could come in handy. As far as rock faces...nothing besides this one particular rock. It's pretty huge, but the base is thin. Maybe a shot or two would knock it down."

Ryoma nodded. Maybe the dirt could help him a bit, even with FCS lock on being a factor. The rock face could be useful for creating cover as well. "Not bad. Anything else?"

"Well, there's this small crevice...it's like a canyon, but it stretches out, somewhat like a small river."

"Can a mech fit into it?"

"If you really wanted to, sure. Good luck getting out, though."

"A one-trick pony." Ryoma thought. "So that's my clutch item, then. Alright, thanks. I'm gonna head home and work on this."

"Huh?" Helts shrugged, a bit disappointed, but he let it go. "Well, okay. Need anything else from me?"

"Nah." Ryoma shook his head, a small smile forming on his face. "You've been a good help as usual. Let's work together again."

"No problem, man. Good luck at your exams."

Ryoma let that sink in as he remembered who he was fighting. Considering he was up against, luck really wasn't something he had on his side. But he smiled anyway as he climbed into his rental MT, and headed back to the Academy, knowledge in hand and ready to win his fight. He glanced at his watch, and it read 10:54. It was about time to get ready.

"Luck won't help me, but I appreciate the gesture. Thanks."

* * *

_10:58 AM, Hyrvus Academy_

Celine awoke from her sleep, her hair covering her tired eyes. She rose from her bed, and gave a yawn. Scratching her nose, she glanced at the clock on the wall, and stretched.

"Almost 11, huh?"

She groggily stepped into the bathroom, and did her morning grooming. A few minutes later, she found herself in her normal Cadet attire, and she glanced at herself in the mirror once more as she put her hair brush down.

"Ryoma..."

His earlier outburst still bugged her a bit. She knew he had sent that mail to her earlier to take her mind off of it, but the more she tried not to think about it, the more it bugged her. Was he serious? Or did he only say that to make her not worry about it?

"Ugh. Whatever. It's almost time, I'll figure it out."

No new mail came in on the terminal, and with it being time to head out, she walked out the door, heading towards the auditorium. As she headed out the door, she overheard a couple of the other cadets talking under their breath.

"That Ryoma guy is so screwed. Can he even pilot?"

"Well, he beat a few of the other scrubs, but never beat a high ranking cadet if I recall."

"Man, and Celine Blondeheit is his opponent? Man, talk about a shitty pick."

Celine had heard enough. Their voices became rather annoying, and the fact that they were downplaying him simply because of ranks sent her to the boiling point. But before she could speak up, Ryoma appeared from the corner of the hallway next to the two students. He cleared his throat as they jumped around to see his face, his hand on his hip.

"Something you want to say about me while I'm here? Or maybe your below average piloting skills would care to talk for you?"

They both seemed surprised when he spoke, yet angry at the same time.

"I'm just pointing out the obvious", the taller, brown haired cadet spoke. "You weren't able to beat one high ranked pilot your entire stay here. You shouldn't be talking about skill."

"Yet despite that, you want me to believe that you're any better?" Ryoma scoffed, and shook his head. "By your logic, neither one of you should be speaking about piloting skills, because the same high ranked pilots you talk about me failing to beat, you have faults with. At least I can say my tactical skills are second to none, what are your specialities?"

They both remained quiet, instead balling their fists and shooting intimidating gazes. Still, Ryoma continued his retaliation.

"And if we want to use that as an argument, then we're all terrible, because no one can beat Celine. So your point is moot. Go somewhere else with your ignorance, it isn't welcomed in my presence."

Celine gave a small smile, which quickly deteriorated as the shorter, buzzcut male stepped forward, his nose only a push away from Ryoma's face. "Try saying that again. I bet you can't without any teeth."

"Sure, I'll gladly remind you who had the best reflexes in physical training. You think I'm all talk and no show? Try me."

Celine stood surprised, pulling on Ryoma's arm. "Ryoma, wait, you don't need to-"

Admiral Nagai approached from the hall, his voice penetrating through every wall in the academy. "That's enough, all of you!"

Everyone stood straight and saluted, though glances shot at Ryoma faster than the speed of sound itself. Clearly, he had sparked some animosity from the two males. Celine looked away from the Admiral as he approached, and Ryoma's eyes faced only the Admiral.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you have anything to fight about, settle it somewhere else, not in the middle of the hall. Matthews, Eghert, I'm disappointed in both of you. And you, Watanabe. I expected better."

Ryoma showed no signs of backing down however, and his gaze only faced the Admiral even more. "Forgive me sir, but I don't appreciate these idiots speaking the way they do. Everyone here works their damned hardest, and for them to talk the way they do is a disgrace. Honestly, I can't fathom how they're still here, and if these are the sacks of idiots you let into Hyrvus, then I'd rather quit right now."

The buzzcut, Matthews, turned to face him. Ryoma didn't even give him a look. "We ought to-"

Nagai glared at him in a heartbeat. "Silence! Ryoma's right. You shouldn't speak of any of your subordinates like that. However, Ryoma, I cannot approve of you instigating physical confrontation outside of combat training. Take it somewhere else. You understand me? This goes for all of you."

They all saluted in unison. "Yes, sir!"

Matthews and Eghert trotted away, but not before giving Ryoma one last glare. Ryoma ignored them as he walked toward the auditorium with Celine, who followed him with her arm looped around his.

"Ryoma, you didn't have to do that. I could have taken care of it."

"Don't worry about it at all." Ryoma said. "I never liked those two anyway, and they seemed like they were bothering you."

"But what if they-"

"See, this is what I mean by want-to-be Mom. Don't worry about it, really. I can handle them. But can you let go of my arm? People might get the wrong idea."

Celine had completely forgotten about that until he mentioned it. She quickly released his arm, and stepped away a bit. "Oh! I'm sorry. Anyway, let's go. It's almost time. And thanks."

Ryoma held the door open for her as he gave her a soft smile. "No problem."

As they stepped inside, cadets filled almost the entirety of the auditorium, from first years to graduates. Glances and stares faced Celine and Ryoma, but mostly at Celine. Ryoma took a seat quickly in the back row, as Celine stepped towards the front most row for her seat. The Admiral followed behind them shortly afterwards, and approached the podium as he shook hands with cadets and other officers. After a few moments, the giant hall quieted down, and Nagai began his speech.

"Fellow cadets of Hyrvus! You have all been gathered here because you each show promise, and have been deemed a potential asset in serving the military force to the best of your abilities. You have all worked very hard to get this far, and now, your final test awaits you. Now as you all know, I'm not one for long speeches, so I'll be brief. Your final test is to participate in battle against your fellow cadets, and test one another's abilities as best you can."

Some of the cadets were surprised, yet Nagai just continued. "Most of you already received the brackets, but we'd like to begin with a highly anticipated match, one that even the higher-ups are eager to see."

Ryoma placed his face in his hand. "Oh, come on..."

"Ryoma Watanabe. Celine Fërdheit. Please, step forward."

Ryoma sighed and walked towards the stage. Celine waited for Ryoma to come close, then stood up, walking along with him. With a push to Ryoma's back, she gave him a wink and a soft whisper. "Perk up, grumpy!"

Ryoma rolled his eyes and stood next to Nagai, Celine next to him.

"You two are the ones the higher ups are looking to see. Are you ready?"

Celine nodded. "Ready."

Ryoma took a glance up to the ceiling, and then to his hands. They weren't trembling.

...Wait, they weren't trembling?

"...Huh. Normally, I get scared of fighting against her. But not this time?"

"Ryoma?"

Nagai's voice snapped him out of his trance. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Alright, then. Get yourselves strapped in. Your match will be first. Any questions or concerns before we begin? No? Good. Dismissed."

Ryoma gave Celine a small glance, and Celine gave Ryoma a stare.

"I don't plan on losing, Celine."

With that, Ryoma turned away, and headed towards the hangar. Celine scoffed and headed to her own hangar, her words muttered under her breath.

"Good luck. You'll need it."

* * *

OKAY NOW IT'S DONE GOD

When will the next Update be? I don't know, my life is in the way, and I'm sorry. But I'll do my best to at least write something from time to time. Reviews are WANTED. And appreciated.

Till next time, guys. Stay safe out there.


	5. Maelstrom's Eye

Hey, guys! Sorry again for late release...my life has been a roller coaster as of late. But I didn't forget about this. I saw that the fight scene was super expected, so I brought one out for you guys, and considering that this chapter was in the burner long enough for it to be good to go, I just decided to drop the fight scene for you guys. I'm sorry, I suck, but I just don't have the time like I want to have honestly. But anyway, here you go. Terrible chapter with terrible writing with a pending revision of style coming. Iunno. But less negative! Enjoy the fight scene! And Happy New Year!

* * *

_11:47, Hyrvus Academy, Ryoma's Hangar_

Ryoma stepped into the hangar, the cold air breezing at his neck, and the air of his breath was clearly visible. The hangars were kept very cold, although there was never a real reason as to why. He closed the service door behind him, and took a long stare at the AC he's been using for the past year now. He gave a small smile, and pulled up his specs interface. Looking it over, he scratched his head as he brainstormed through a few scenarios and tried to find out what parts to use and not use, as well as what sort of build to go for. But the biggest variable in his brain was the crevice that Heltz mentioned to him, and he kept thinking on ways to utilize it. Maybe he could lure Celine into it? He wasn't sure. He safely assumed that Celine knows about that crevice as well, and is probably getting a briefing of the area by one of her friends at this very moment.

"Hm...she might go for a long range build knowing the stage and her fighting style. Heltz, can you hear me?"

Heltz chimed in a few seconds later, yawning and rubbing his head. "Loud and clear, chief. What can I do for you?"

"I need a quick pointer. What's the fastest bullet velocity rifle I have right now?"

"Lemme see your parts list really fast.." A few quick taps later, and a screen with Ryoma's parts and AC build appeared on one of his many monitors. "Uhh, I think the fastest one on you right now is the Kuretake, Not much, but it's a Sniper Rifle, so you'll have the range. That's pretty much it. You could slap it on your build if you want, but I don't know."

Ryoma glanced over his build list; A pretty standard bipedal, focused on mobile firefights. A lightweight set of legs held the whole thing together, a Ryugen core that Ryoma saved up for, being the base of his gear. He had neglected to beef up his arms however, and the rest of his parts save for his Boosters and FCS are quite outdated. From the looks of it, it might be a better idea to go for ranged combat to reduce the damage overall, but if Celine goes for a ranged build as well, he could have some problems.

"Ryoma?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm here. Just thinking about some stuff. Alright, thanks."

Heltz smiled and nodded. "No problem, man. Know what you're gonna do?"

"Yeah, I have an idea. Pretty ballsy though." Ryoma smirked at the thought of it, and wanted to see if he could pull it off.

"Well, I can't wait to see what you've cooked up this time." Heltz grinned, and rubbed his nose, probably out of pride for his assisting Ryoma. "Well, good luck!"

And just like that, Heltz cut the communication. It was back to Ryoma all alone in the hangar with only a few more minutes before it was time. And with those few minutes, he decided to make a few changes to his build...

11:55, Hyrvus Academy, Celine's Hangar

Celine paced back and forth as she made the last minute changes to her AC with the help of her mechanic friend, Mia Gottfried.

"Annnnd done! Your build's ready to go, girlfriend!"

"Thanks, Mia. I appreciate your help. I can't slap on parts myself, unlike Mr. Do It Everything Watanabe over there in the other hangar..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. You're more skilled than he is anyway as far as piloting goes, so I don't think you have anything to worry about! Was that all you needed?"

"Yeah, that was it. Thanks again."

"No problem. I'll see ya later!"

Celine looked over her AC one more time. Thanks to her last minute decision, it was looking very well rounded, with a pair of middleweight legs and a C03 Malicious core as the base. A pair of standard arms hung on the sides, with a KE based Shield and a sniper rifle of her own as her weapon, as well as a CIWS shoulder unit. A relatively balanced booster focused on acceleration and a decent generator powered the core, and the rest of her parts were no lower than average. If you were to look at it on paper, Celine would win just by build quality. But Ryoma wasn't a textbook pilot either, and his unpredictability was something you could never be ready for. With this in mind, she decided to swap her Battle Rifle in for a shield, just in case.

"You can never know with that guy. I shouldn't have to equip a shield because his innovation is so silly. Oh well."

She glanced at the clock once more. Almost 12. Ryoma was most likely finishing his build, and her build was just about finished, so she decided to just roll with what she had. Then the Admiral's voice rolled through Ryoma and Celine's hangars.

"Attention, pilots! You have 2 minutes left! Finish your changes and get settled into your cores!"

Celine sighed. She was hoping for it to be another easy pilot to fight, but it had to be Ryoma. "So much for a walk in the park, huh?"

Thinking back to the e-mail she recieved from him, she wondered if it was genuine. Was he worried? Did he stop worrying about it? Did he actually care? No matter the answer, it wouldn't stop her from meeting him head on anyway, but it still ate at her. Scoffing away her thoughts, she suited up and settled into her core, booting up the systems, and exiting the hangar as the doors opened. "Whatever. He's a guy, he'll get over it."

* * *

_12:00 PM, Hyrvus Academy_

The light from the outside seeped into the core as she headed towards her respective end of the battle area, with Ryoma on the other end, a few miles away. She sneaked a look into scan mode, and her eyebrow rose as she noticed his build.

"What the hell, a Pile Driver? And only one Sniper Rifle?"

Ryoma, on the other hand, was spot on with his guess. He wasn't ready for the shield though, and cursed under his breath. "That makes things a little complicated."

A couple of seconds later, Admiral Nagai's voice came through the voice channels of their ACs, which was most likely going through the PAs in the academy and the bunkers that the higher-ups watched the battles from. "Watanabe. Fërdheit. Are you two ready to begin?"

Celine and Ryoma nodded. "Ready."

"Alright. Begin whenever you're ready."

Ryoma furrowed his brows, and fired up his boosters without waiting for Celine to show if she was ready or not. "Well then, let's go!"

Ryoma took the initiative, and quick boosted towards Celine, as she pulled away from him. Ryoma's quick boost was very quick due to him switching his parts around to run only one gun, and he went for the Pile Driver off the forward momentum. But Celine anticipated the early attack, and performed two quick boosts, one to the side, and then one propelled backwards as she took a shot at Ryoma. The bullet connected, the side of his AC brunting off the sniper shell. "You're going to have to really upgrade your sneak attack skills, Ryoma. A sleeping turtle could have dodged that."

Meanwhile, back in the bunker, a few of the other higher-ups and commanders that came to watch the fight gave small smiles, murmuring and mentioning how impressed they were with the cadets that Admiral Nagai had selected for the first fight of the day. One of the older commanders, a bald, pale man with a cigar in his hand showed especially high praise in particular. "Not too shabby, that one. She has great reflexes, and double quick boosts aren't something you see nowadays, especially from younger pilots. I don't expect much from the boy, honestly."

Nagai gave a small smile, and took a seat in one of the chairs as he watched the fight on the monitor. "You haven't seen just what he's capable of. He's a tactical genius. Just watch, Commander Haines."

Of course, Ryoma was having a hard time showing off said genius, as every notion of attack has been negated by Celine's surperior movement and pinpoint accuracy. Having opted for the powerful pile over the more ammunition friendly one, he only had one more pile to spare, which means he's low on options, especially with no bay weapons. As he swung wide towards the small cluster of abandoned buildings, Celine fired another shot at him with her rifle. Ryoma fired off his own shot, then quick boosted behind one of the large office buildings, the shot he fired connecting the shield that Celine just so happened to place on her AC. "Sorry, not today genius!"

"I'm not gonna be able to win this off of pure firepower, am I?" Ryoma thought. Of course, he should have figured not when he saw the shield on her AC, not to mention that she outranges him with a better rifle. Ryoma doubled back and took a breather as he wiped off the sweat from his brow, and gave a sigh of relief when he noticed a particularly large bulding, somewhat built like a parking garage.

"Dammit, Heltz. Why wasn't I told about this..."

Shrugging it off, Ryoma decided to make his tactical play. Celine slowly veered around the building, searching for Ryoma and preparing her rifle for another shot to whittle down his core. Ryoma fired up his boosters, and bursted from around the corner, firing off a few shots at Celine. Celine deflected one of the shots, and another one hit her core in the left leg. Celine fired off her own shot and Ryoma failed to quick boost in time, allowing a free hit to his core. Ryoma cursed under his breath once again, and a warning light popped on in the corner of his seat, as well as a CPU voice notifying him that the core's AP was at 30%. On the bright side, he managed to make it into the parking garage, and it was a one floor garage, with most of the structure beams intact, but very unstable. Ryoma gave a grin, and boosted away as Celine chased him.

The higher-ups back in the bunker murmured and gave confused looks to eachother. Haines expressed his confusion, as well as scratched his hairless head. "What's that kid doing?"

Nagai just chuckled, and stood up in front of the monitor. "You'll see."

Celine simply surveyed the lot, waiting for Ryoma to reveal himself to her rifle. "Surely you don't think I'll fall for some sort of trick like this! Don't insult me!"

She advanced forward, and when she did, Ryoma fired a shot at the structure beam, attempting to drop a piece of the lot on her. Celine quick boosted back, as Ryoma fired another shot from the other side of the lot, Celine boosting away from the falling debris.

"What the hell, dude!? Are you trying to kill me!?" Celine yelled out through her comms.

"If that's what it takes to win." Ryoma calmly replied while he checked his ammo. Not enough shots to bring her down, and if he didn't take her down here, there'd be no point of keeping the damned thing. A moment after, the wind began to kick up, with the dust and dirt flowing around everywhere, first like a small wave, and then slowly into a dust storm as their bout continued. Ryoma smirked, hoping he could win based off the weather and speed advantage.

Ryoma took a breath, and braced himself in his seat. "Alright, Celine. Let's wrap this up."

Celine gritted her teeth, and felt her hand tighten on the handle of her core. "Let's."

Back in the bunker, everyone lost their minds, so to speak. Commanders and officers mumbled even more, some with smiles, others with horrifying looks, and still some who didn't know how they felt.

"That kid is insane!" Hains exclaimed. He gave a look of complete shock at Nagai, and even he was surprised by what happened.

"I wasn't expecting him to try to bring down a building on her. That's something new."

Haines sat back down in his chair, the excitement calming down, and the other officials in the room exhaled a breath or two that they were holding in as the bunker closed up to protect them from the dirt and dust. Back on the field, Ryoma reviewed his situation one more time. Not enough ammo to kill, Celine running a shield, and structure beams seeming like wishful thinking. The only thing that was left in his favor was the crevice on the other side of the field and the shield. All or nothing, at least from Ryoma's perspective.

"Alright, let's go!" Ryoma yelled out, and he quick boosted through the lot, shooting as many beams as he could on the way out. Celine quick boosted past him, not following him out the same way, and took aim with her Rifle. The building collapsed on her way out though, so she had to maneuver around the building to get a lock on him. Ryoma engaged his Over Boost with the last of his energy reserves, quick boosting in conjunction with his OB to kick up the dirt behind him. He approached the crevice, and waited. Celine furrowed her brow in anger, and engaged her OB in an attempt to keep up with Ryoma. Her lock-on vanished suddenly, confusing her. Raising her shield, she disengaged the OB, and stood in place, scouting the area.

"Come out, Ryoma!" She screamed out, slowly advancing closer towards the crevice, when she noticed a huge rock face. Smirking, she headed towards it, before noticing the crevice in front of her.

Celine laughed hysterically, as if Ryoma was joking. "I won't fall for such a silly trick. You think I would be so stupid as to walk into this crevice? I'd get stuck instantly!"

She boosted over the crevice, and in that moment, a loud, booming sound exploded from under her. She managed to glance down for a moment to see a pile driver being extended towards her core, and it was way too late to QB away. Ryoma gave a smirk, and laughed as he thought about it. Getting the core out of the crevice will be damned near impossible, but getting into it was ironically easy enough.

Celine screamed out in an odd, despairing way, cursing Ryoma for what she knew what was about to happen.

"Ryoma, you little shit!"

The storm settled, and all the spectators stood up at their seats as they watched quietly at the scene they couldn't believe was happening. A top pilot being defeated by a slightly above average pilot at best. Surely it had to be a fluke. Ryoma, however, didn't mind the crowd at all as he looked at his AP count. Around 10% thanks to Celine. He gave a sigh of relief and gripped the trigger for the pile driver.

"Checkmate, Celine."

And he pulled the trigger that would lead him to victory today.


End file.
